Choosing a sofa is apparently a serious business.
There are measurements to take.
Fabrics to consider.
Cushions to test.
Arms to compare.
And an astonishing number of conversations about whether a sofa is too deep or merely comfortably deep.
Then there is style.
Chesterfield.
Tuxedo.
Lawson.
Camelback.
English roll arm.
Names most of us have heard at some point, even if we couldn’t identify half of them in a furniture showroom.
So we thought we’d make things easier.
Not by creating another sensible guide to sofa styles.
There are plenty of those.
Instead, we’re going to answer the considerably more important question:
If every sofa style had a dog, which dog would it be?
Some matches are based on history.
Some are based on shape.
Some are based on personality.
And at least one is based entirely on our firm belief that a Pug would choose a recliner.
Here are 20 sofa styles — and the dogs we think belong on them.
1. The Chesterfield — English Bulldog
There was really nowhere else we could start.
The Chesterfield is one of the most recognizable sofas ever made.
Deep button tufting. Rolled arms. A back and arms traditionally sitting at approximately the same height. And, in its most familiar form, beautiful leather that somehow looks better after years of use.
It is substantial.
British.
A little imposing.
And extremely comfortable once you’ve settled into it.
Which brings us to the English Bulldog.
Put a Bulldog in the middle of a deep brown leather Chesterfield and the two look as though they’ve been together for generations.
He doesn’t need to do anything.
He doesn’t need to pose.
He simply needs to sit there looking mildly unimpressed with everyone else in the room.
The Chesterfield has found its dog.
2. The English Roll Arm — Labrador Retriever
The English roll-arm sofa doesn’t try particularly hard to impress you.
That’s part of its appeal.
It typically has a deep comfortable seat, low rolled arms and soft cushions that make it feel less like something you’re supposed to admire and more like somewhere you’re actually supposed to live.
It’s traditional without feeling precious.
Comfortable without looking sloppy.
And it works particularly well in the kind of house where people come through the door without an invitation and somehow stay for dinner.
That’s Labrador territory.
A Lab doesn’t want the room nobody is allowed to use.
He wants the room where everybody is.
Preferably with a good sofa.
And preferably with enough room left over for him.
3. The Lawson — Golden Retriever
The Lawson is one of those sofas you may have sat on hundreds of times without knowing its name.
Its defining feature is simplicity.
The back cushions are separate from the frame. The arms are generally lower than the back. The proportions are comfortable and familiar.
Nothing about it screams for attention.
It just works.
Which sounds suspiciously like a Golden Retriever.
Friendly.
Adaptable.
Comfortable almost anywhere.
Put a Golden on a Lawson sofa in a warm family living room and neither one looks like it was chosen to make a statement.
They just look like they belong there.
4. The Tuxedo — Great Dane
Now things get considerably more architectural.
The Tuxedo sofa typically has straight arms the same height as its back, creating a strong rectangular silhouette.
It’s tailored.
Formal.
Confident.
And in the right room, extremely elegant.
You know what else is tall, architectural and surprisingly elegant?
A Great Dane.
This isn’t a sofa for a dog curled into an invisible little ball in the corner.
We want a Great Dane sitting upright, occupying an unreasonable percentage of the furniture while somehow making the entire room look better.
There may technically be room for another person.
The Great Dane disagrees.
5. The Camelback — Afghan Hound
The clue is in the name.
A traditional Camelback sofa rises toward the centre of the back before curving gracefully downward again, creating one of the most recognizable silhouettes in traditional furniture.
It can be formal.
It can be ornate.
And it definitely isn’t shy.
Neither is an Afghan Hound.
Put that dramatic coat against the sculptural outline of a Camelback sofa and suddenly neither the furniture nor the dog seems excessive.
They simply understand one another.
Minimalism was never going to work here.
6. The Cabriole — Italian Greyhound
A Cabriole sofa is all about curves.
The back flows into the arms. The frame often features exposed carved wood. The legs can be slender and elegant.
There is very little visually heavy about it.
So naturally, we’re giving it to one of the lightest-looking dogs imaginable.
The Italian Greyhound has the same delicate quality.
Fine legs.
Elegant curves.
A slightly aristocratic air.
And an extraordinary ability to occupy the warmest location in any house.
Just don’t expect him to sit upright for the photograph.
7. The Bridgewater — Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Bridgewater is traditional furniture without too much formality.
Its arms are usually low and rolled, its back higher, and its cushions inviting enough that nobody worries very much about sitting properly.
It belongs in comfortable houses.
Rooms with books.
Rooms with blankets.
Rooms where tea occasionally appears.
We considered several dogs.
Then we pictured a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel curled into one corner.
Discussion over.
8. The Mid-Century Modern Sofa — Dachshund
Long.
Low.
Clean lines.
Short legs.
Do we really need to explain this one?
Mid-century modern sofas tend to sit lower to the floor, often on exposed tapered wooden legs, with long horizontal proportions and relatively little visual bulk.
Then there’s the Dachshund.
Also long.
Also low.
Also equipped with surprisingly short legs.
Put a Dachshund across a beautiful walnut-framed 1960s sofa and you begin to wonder whether mid-century furniture designers were simply studying Dachshunds.
This may be the most structurally compatible dog and sofa in the entire article.
9. The Track-Arm Sofa — Doberman
Track arms are exactly what they sound like.
Straight.
Clean.
Square.
No rolling, sweeping or decorative flourishes.
The result is a sofa that feels contemporary, disciplined and architectural.
Enter the Doberman.
Lean lines.
Athletic proportions.
Nothing visually unnecessary.
We’d put this combination in a sophisticated contemporary house with restrained materials, strong architecture and absolutely no novelty dog pillows anywhere in sight.
The Doberman can provide the decoration.
10. The Slope-Arm Sofa — Whippet
A slope-arm sofa softens the geometry.
Instead of maintaining the same height from back to front, the arms gently descend toward the front of the sofa.
It’s subtle.
But it changes the entire silhouette.
The Whippet feels like the same idea translated into a dog.
Lean.
Curved.
Graceful.
And apparently constructed almost entirely from lines that refuse to be straight.
Naturally, the Whippet will ignore all of that design analysis and immediately curl into a shape approximately the size of a throw pillow.
11. The Curved Sofa — Saluki
Some sofas are designed around walls.
A curved sofa can become the room.
Its sweeping shape changes how people sit, how furniture relates to it and often how the entire living space is arranged.
It needs a dog capable of holding its own against that much sculpture.
The Saluki can manage it.
Long legs.
Long neck.
Long tail.
Beautiful sweeping lines.
In a dramatic contemporary room, the dog and sofa could almost look like they were drawn by the same person.
12. The Modular Sofa — Border Collie
Move this piece over here.
Turn that one around.
Add another section.
Remove the corner.
Make a chaise.
Change it again tomorrow.
A modular sofa is essentially furniture that refuses to commit to one solution.
Obviously, we’re giving it to the Border Collie.
While the other dogs are wondering where to sit, the Border Collie has already evaluated six possible configurations and determined which one provides the best sightline to the front door.
He may also have reorganized the cushions.
Let him work.
13. The Sectional — German Shepherd
A sectional is built to handle things.
Families.
Movie nights.
Guests.
Sunday afternoons.
Dogs who somehow require the seating area of two adults.
It’s substantial furniture designed for actual life.
That’s why we’re putting a German Shepherd on it.
There is something reassuring about the combination.
Big sofa.
Big dog.
Plenty of room.
Although somehow, despite owning several seats worth of furniture, the German Shepherd will still choose the cushion directly beside you.
14. The Chaise Sectional — Greyhound
The chaise sectional asks a very simple question:
Would you like somewhere to stretch your legs?
The Greyhound’s answer is:
Yes. All four of them.
A Greyhound stretched along a chaise makes so much visual sense that the human portion of the furniture starts to seem like an afterthought.
This isn’t a dog sitting on a sofa.
This is a dog finally discovering furniture designed according to his specifications.
Please find another seat.
15. The U-Shaped Sectional — Bernese Mountain Dog
There are sofas.
There are sectionals.
And then there are U-shaped sectionals that appear capable of accommodating a small family reunion.
They wrap around the room, create an instant gathering place and provide an enormous amount of seating.
Which means we finally have enough furniture for a Bernese Mountain Dog.
Possibly.
The Bernese isn’t particularly interested in having one cushion.
He would prefer a region.
And if several members of the family happen to join him there, even better.
16. The Reclining Sofa — Pug
Some pairings require research.
This wasn’t one of them.
A reclining sofa is designed around comfort.
Push a button or pull a lever and suddenly you’re leaning back, your feet are up and whatever productive plans you had for the next hour become considerably less important.
The Pug understands this philosophy completely.
We picture him reclined farther than seems medically necessary, looking completely satisfied with the direction his life has taken.
There should probably be a remote nearby.
It belongs to him too.
17. The Sleeper Sofa — French Bulldog
During the day, it’s a sofa.
At night, it’s a bed.
This is usually described as versatility.
The French Bulldog sees it differently.
He sees two sleeping opportunities occupying the same square footage.
Frankly, it’s difficult to argue with the efficiency.
He can nap on the sofa all afternoon, supervise the transformation in the evening and then move directly onto the bed as though he had been invited.
He had not.
18. The Chaise Longue — Borzoi
Some furniture looks like it was invented specifically so someone could drape themselves dramatically across it.
The chaise longue is that furniture.
And the Borzoi is that someone.
A normal sofa asks a dog to curl up.
The chaise longue encourages length.
And the Borzoi has length to spare.
Put the two together in a beautiful old apartment and the result starts looking less like a photograph of a pet and more like a 1920s portrait of minor European royalty.
We wouldn’t change a thing.
19. The Settee — Miniature Poodle
A settee is generally smaller and more upright than a conventional sofa.
It’s elegant.
A little formal.
Often beautifully upholstered.
And considerably less interested in hosting three people for a Sunday afternoon nap.
That calls for a smaller dog with standards.
The Miniature Poodle seems appropriate.
Perfect posture.
Beautifully groomed.
Sitting precisely where you’d hoped she’d sit.
For approximately seven seconds.
Then she’ll jump down because she has somewhere more important to be.
20. The Daybed — Great Pyrenees
Part sofa.
Part bed.
Part invitation to spend the afternoon doing absolutely nothing.
A daybed occupies the wonderful territory between furniture and legitimate excuse for a nap.
So we’re finishing with a Great Pyrenees.
Big.
White.
Magnificent.
And capable of making an entire piece of furniture disappear underneath him.
Technically, the daybed could accommodate a person as well.
Technically.
So Which Sofa Is Right for Your Dog?
After 20 sofas, we have reached several important conclusions.
English Bulldogs belong on Chesterfields.
Dachshunds may have secretly inspired mid-century modern furniture.
Greyhounds have been waiting patiently for humanity to invent the chaise sectional.
And nobody should ever stand between a Pug and a recliner.
But here’s the problem.
Your dog doesn’t care.
Neither does your cat.
You can spend six months finding the perfect sofa.
You can measure the room three times.
You can bring home fabric samples.
You can debate leather versus performance fabric.
You can compare cushion construction, seat depth, arm styles and whether that particular shade is warm grey or slightly warmer grey.
You can spend $800.
You can spend $8,000.
Your dog will still take the best seat.
Your cat will claim the expensive throw.
And within approximately 48 hours, you’ll discover pet hair in a part of the sofa you didn’t even know existed.
So buy the Chesterfield.
Get the sectional.
Order the beautiful mid-century sofa you’ve wanted for years.
Choose something you love.
Just don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s yours.
You paid for it.
They own it.
Love Beautiful Furniture and Pets?
Apparently, dogs have opinions about more than sofa styles.
If you’d like to see what happens when we give them some genuinely beautiful furniture and let them make themselves comfortable, keep exploring.
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From sculptural statement chairs to beautiful leather classics, we paired twelve great accent chairs with the dogs most likely to claim them.
Because beautiful furniture is for everyone. Apparently.
